Dining out with a Food Critic: Reality Bites

Do you dream of being one of the (supposedly) lucky folks who regularly dine out with food critics? Your dream may actually be a bit of a nightmare if you’re not prepared for the realities of what is required of their dining partners. Baltimore Sun restaurant critic Elizabeth Large reveals 10 truths about what you’re in for when you come along for a free meal, including the fact that there’s no such thing as free lunch (or dinner).

I haven’t had the pleasure (or displeasure, depending on your perspective) of dining out with a food critic, and it might be fun to do once. In general, though, I’d rather dine out as a civilian, if you will, than as a critic. I loathe looking for fault at restaurants as I’ve spent a good part of my life working at them and I know too well how hard it is to get everything right on any given night — the food, the service, the setting, and a thousand other variables. Also, I’m a firm believer that our enjoyment of many of life’s pleasures, dining included, is contextual. If you’re in good company, in a good mood, or simply having a good day, you’re probably going to have a good time. If you’re in a foul mood? Not so much.

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Caroline Potter

Caroline Potter is the Chief Dining Officer for OpenTable, Inc. She’s a dining trend-spotter and an OpenTable VIP, who dines out more than she eats in and has accrued more than 10,000 Dining Rewards points. Caroline started working in restaurants as a teen and she's since tackled every front-of-the-house job, from bartender and hostess to runner and server. She trained as a chef at Manhattan’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, cooking at L’Ecole. In addition to her role at OpenTable, she has written about food from farm to table for New York City’s famed Greenmarket and Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End magazines. Caroline is also a Certified Master Gardener.